Crucible split but Hearn is on cue to deliver

Doyle, chairman of the 110sport management group which represents stars including Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry, has quit as a director of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association in protest at Hearn's plans.

Doyle specifically objects to Hearn's proposal that he will, for 1, take a 51 per cent controlling interest in World Snooker, the commercial arm of the WPBSA, if proposals to shake up the sport are accepted by the players.

In his resignation statement, Doyle urged the players to "see the bigger picture" when they come to vote. The timing of Doyle's departure, ahead of the Betfred.com World Championship which begins on Saturday in Sheffield, might be seen as unfortunate.

However, WPBSA chairman Hearn, who came to power in December amid solid support from senior players who were frustrated with the previous regime, remains convinced his plan is the best way to reinvigorate snooker.

Hearn said: "I welcome Lee's decision to resign as a director of WPBSA.

"As a manager of players and promoter of rival events in important territories like China, Lee's position as a board director, where confidential information becomes available to effectively a competitor, has become untenable.

"He may well be opposed to my plan to reinvigorate snooker for the benefit of all players and I, therefore, totally understand his reasons for resigning.

"I'm glad to say that the remaining board members, Steve Davis, Brandon Parker and Pat Mooney are, like me, totally committed in supporting these new proposals for taking the game forward and look forward to discussing them with the players on May 5."

Whether Doyle's resignation has an effect on how players vote remains to be seen. O'Sullivan has come out firmly behind Hearn. Last week, the three-time world champion urged his fellow professionals to "see sense" and throw their full support behind Hearn, and world champion John Higgins urged players to "wake up" and trust the man who has transformed darts over the last decade.

Doyle had been a director on the WPBSA board since 2006 and said: "I feel that my current position ... is now untenable given that I am completely opposed to the proposals the chairman Barry Hearn has laid out whereby the controlling rights in the company are handed over to him.

"I do understand what Barry is trying to achieve in snooker and we have discussed this at considerable length. But on this one we agree to disagree.

"Barry has always run his own business and made his own decisions. However, I feel extremely uncomfortable where, from my perspective, decisions are being taken on contracts without me being consulted as a board member.

"I do wish some of the players would look at these proposals from the business angle and see the bigger picture and the implications going forward for the game, rather than turning everything into some kind of popularity contest."

Despite his plans, even Hearn cannot imagine another domestic TV audience of 18.5m tuning in for a World Championship final, as they did in 1985 when Dennis Taylor beat Steve Davis on the final black.

Hearn's vision for snooker, however, extends far beyond its traditional British Isles heartland, and by selling overseas TV rights he is convinced many millions more will be tuning in for the Crucible showpiece.

"To get 18.5m today would be phenomenal," said Hearn. "In a way it was almost an albatross around the game's neck because how can you beat that? The answer is that you can beat it in different ways.."

Hearn became chairman in December – the 'saviour' of a sport which in 1994-95 had 15 major tournaments on the calendar. Today, there are seven.

Last year the highest earner in darts, which Hearn has turned into a TV-friendly sport, was Phil Taylor with over 750,000. John Higgins topped snooker's money list with 430,000.

Hearn plans to introduce fast-paced one-frame shoot-outs, six-red tournaments, more prize-money, a new ranking tournament in Germany, and a Players' Tour. Most importantly, the players will have more opportunity to play.

For Hearn, the World Championship is the untouchable event. "It's the big one because it's the platform for the game globally, it's the start of what I think will be a massive new era for the sport, and I can't have a better event than this one to start off what I'm trying to do.

"There's a little bit of a buzz about the game – and I'm going to take all the credit as I would!"

Record breaks

Steve Davis is the oldest player in the 2010 field, at 52. Davis won the sixth and last world title of his career in 1989 and will be making his 30th appearance at the World Championship.

The oldest Crucible champion was Ray Reardon who was 45 when he landed the 1978 title. John Higgins, at 33, became the oldest winner since Dennis Taylor in 1985 when he won last year's title.

The fastest 147 maximum break at the Championship was achieved in just 5mins 20secs by Ronnie O'Sullivan in 1997.

Just one 147 was achieved at last year's Championship, by Stephen Hendry in his quarter-final against Shaun Murphy. He took home prize-money of 157,000 for that maximum but lost the match.

The first World Championship, staged in Birmingham in 1927, offered prize money of 6 10s 0d.

Derbyshire player Joe Davis was the first world champion and won all 15 editions of the tournament he entered. His last title came in 1946 when he retired unbeaten from the World Championship but kept playing in other events.

Only two players entered the 1931 tournament. Tom Dennis, in whose pub the event was staged, lost 25-21 to Joe Davis.

Fred Davis, who won eight world titles, reached the 1978 semi-finals at the age of 64. His brother Joe collapsed while watching the match and died two months later.

The youngest champion was Stephen Hendry in 1990. The Scot was 21 and his first-round opponent this year, 18-year-old Anda Zhang, had not yet been born.

A British TV audience of 18.5m watched Dennis Taylor beat Steve Davis after midnight on the final black in the 1985 final. They will play a one-frame exhibition at The Crucible on April 29 to mark the 25th anniversary of the legendary match.

Jimmy White, Walter Donaldson and Fred Davis have each lost six finals – a record. White, unlike Donaldson and Davis, has never been world champion.

The Crucible Theatre has a maximum capacity of 980. It will stage the Championships until at least 2014.